Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has admitted that the players have found it tough under the new regime of Louis van Gaal.

The Dutchman took over the reins from temporary boss Ryan Giggs in the summer and has since gone about putting his stamp on the team. The Red Devils, who struggled at the start of the season, have now recovered and after putting up strong performances in recent months, they sit at third spot on the League table, 10 points behind Chelsea and five below Manchester City.

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager has made dynamic changes on the field for the club, mainly their style of play and formation. He has favoured a 3-5-2 formation over the usual 4-2-3-1 employed by most teams. Initially, United players struggled to adapt to the new system, but it has now started to reap rewards, as they have lost just one game in the Premier League since the start of November.

"We've been used to playing a certain way for a number of years then the change happens and he wants us to play a certain way. So it does take time for those things to become second nature. But I think you are starting to see that now."

"The fact that the formation has changed a lot has taught the lads an awful lot. Coming into games, if we do have any changes in formation, I think is a big plus for us to have. Using different formations against different teams can only benefit us in the long run," the United defender explained.

The Northern Ireland international has credited the manager for bringing the players together as a cohesive unit despite all the changes in the summer.

Evans is confident that once all the players settle down into their new positions and are aware of their role in the team, the team will start playing to their full potential.

"You can look at the formation changes and the personnel changes as well, plus the fact that there's a lot of players who haven't played together before, and the manager is doing fantastically well in getting us organised. And as players we're really benefiting from that."

"The manager has done a lot of work in trying to steady the team and making sure everyone knows their jobs. Once we get that nailed on, and everyone knows their defensive jobs, then I think we'll be able to push on from that and be really entertaining again," Evans concluded.